Playoffs

Have you selected another team to follow as they make their way towards the Stanley Cup finals? (Barf).

Or have you moved seamlessly into the baseball season – waiting for nights where shorts and a t-shirt won’t result in hypothermia?

I have to say its been tough for me to watch the post-season without the Habs. There are teams that I hate less than others – so there is always the simple option of cheering AGAINST those teams that I can’t stand.. (aka the Bruins and Flyers).

For the first time in a long while there are some serious perennial under-dog teams that have huge potential. Teams like Nashville, St. Louis, Florida, and Pheonix have always been a non-threat in seasons passed. Great young teams all now though.

Well I am a habs fan first and foremost. I am also a Canadian and normally would root for a Canadian team not becuase I like them but becuase I am getting tired of seeing the cup south of the border. Unfortunately, the Jets, Oilers and Flames are not in the playoffs. Only teams that I sort of hate almost as worse as the Leafs are the Canucks and the Senators. I find myself rooting for them becuase I hate the Rangers more and I never really like the Kings. Both Can. teams look like they could go out first round thought, and that will probably solve my dilema. I like Pittsburg next but they are playing Philly like we did two/three years ago so unless they smarten up they will be out in five games. Never liked the Wings, even though they are 50 from where I lived. So back to the Richard/Howe days I guess and Bud Linch. Never liked the Ranger either, I do not necessarily like NJ either but they do play the game the way it needs to be played to win in the playoffs. So that leaves Florida in the east, and I think they will also be gone in the first round.
So we move to the West, Kings NO, Wings NO, Phoenix No only because if they win it could be enough to keep there for another year. St. Louis I like, Nashville No because of SK and AK don’t want them to win a cup. Chicago yes and SJ not so much and then there is the Canucks. So out of this bunch I guess I will root for any Canadian team that stays in, after than Pittsburg or Chicago. Then again the Detroit Tigers are doing okay maybe I will root for them.

Baseball? zzzzzzzzz. After watching playoff hockey, I can’t sit through another sport.

I live in Chicago and was born in Vancouver, and lived in Ottawa for 14 years, so… I’d like to see either the Canucks win or Sens, but I’ll also cheer for Chicago. It’s more like I’m just lending support to someone else though, the only team in my heart is Montreal.

I’m watching Philly and the Sens/Rangers closely because they are the model I think we should be building our team on.

I liked what the announcers had to say about Jim Playfair (of the Coyotes), he sounds like he’ll make a great head coach. Doubt he speaks a word of french, though. This is the problem with Montreal’s philosophy, it eliminates many great candidates for the head coaching job.

Baseball can never complete with hockey from an excitement level however, I was a pretty good ball player and loved to play the game but find it difficult to watch. So I will watch the important games or when a pitcher of my liking is on the mound. But no you cannot compare the feeling that hockey gives you there is nothing in baseball that provides that constant feeling. In Baseball you get small moments about 5-10 times over three hours, a strikeout, a homerun, a stolen base, a triple off the wall a great catch especially in the outfield. These are moments only baseball people understand, but they do not compare to the goal that is scored, the body check, tying goal in the last second of the the game. The fight and feeling one gets as you lean to the right and then to the left as the play goes down the ice and then the big save your goalie makes and your team heads back down the ice and scores. Wow! Now that is a real game.